Base-ball glove or mitt.



No. 820,120. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. R. F. LE MAT.

BASE BALL GLOVE OR MITT.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.14,1905.

y s SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.-

R. F. LE MAT. BASE BALL GLOVE 0R MITT.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.14,1906.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 820,120. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. R. P. LE MAT. BASE BALL GLOVE 0RMITT.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BASE-BALL GLOVE OR MITT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented May 8, 1906.

Application filed October 14, 1905- Serial No. 282,780.

mgton, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Base-BallGlove or Mitt, of:

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in base-ball gloves, and pertainsparticularly to those used by the catcher and first baseman.

The object of my invention is to provide a glove of this character whichis made scoopshaped and provided with a correspondinglyshaped rigidframe for retaining the glove in said scoop shape, said frame being openat the center or opposite the palm of the hand, so that the hand willnot receive the direct impact caused by the striking of the ball in theglove. This provides a glove in which the ball may be more readilyscooped up by the player, and the shape of the glove is such that theball is diverted from all sides toward the center or palm of the glove,thus making it much easier to catch the ball and preventing theball fromstriking the edge of the glove and being diverted up in the air or toone side, as is usually the case.

Another object of my invention is to provide a glove of this characterwhich is heavily padded and the padding at the palm or center being sopositioned and of such a character that it is impossible for the same tomove. The hand-receiving portion of the glove is so constructed thatafter the hand is in its normal position within the glove the samecannot slip therefromwhile in said position, thus obviating thenecessity of a securing strap or lacing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the back of theglove. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on theline so as of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the scoop-shaped rigidframe. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the face of the glove. Fig. 5 isa transverse vertical sectional view taken on. the line )4 y of Fig. 10.Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank of glove-piece. Fig. 7 is a detailperspective view of a section of the rawhide strip, and Fig. 8 is a planview of the face of the palm of the glove.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents a scoop-shaped frame, whichis either made of heavy leather, metal, or papiermach, but preferably ofthe latter, and is made of a shape to ,correspond with that of theordinary catchersglove or mitt and is provided at the center with anopening 2, to which the said frame is inclined from each and alldirections. The rear end of said frame 1 is provided with alaterally-turned portion 3, which forms the heel of the glove and whichwill be hereinafter more fully described. As before stated, this frame 1is made, preferably, of papier-mach, which is cheaper and much lighter,thus making the glove light and yet having the same shaperetainingqualities of sheet metal and can be stamped from a sheet the same asmetal. The said rigid frame 1 around its entire edge is provided with anapproximately laterally turned flange 4, which serves as areinforcingplate for the outer edge of the frame and also serves asmeans for securing the leather covering to both the front and back ofthe glove.

As shown in Fig. 3, I have provided strengthening-plates 5, secured tothe outer edge of the frame 1, which is subjected to the greateststrain, and which are either screwed or riveted thereto and may be ofany desired number. While I have shown three plates, it is understoodthat they may be omitted. Tightly stretched over the convex surface ofsaid frame 1 is a covering of leather 6, which extends down intotherecess 7, formed by the flange 4, and is then turned parallel therewithand extends out to the end of said flange. Passing over this flangebetween the leather covering of the frame and the flange is a rawhidestrip 8, which extends out around the flange and a short distance overthe inner face of the frame, and thus the rawhide strip and backcovering of the glove are firmly-secured to the plate by the flangebeing firmly crimped or bent down upon the frame. The said rawhide strip8 is of the form shown in Fig. 4 and extends entirely around theframe 1. The said frame is not provided with a cut-out portion for thethumb, thus protecting the same. The thumb portion is formed by thepadding on the inside of the frame, as hereinafter more fully described.Secured to the rawhide strip 8, as is also shown in Fig. 4, by a row ordouble row of stitching is a leather, covering 9, forming the palmportion of the glove, and between said covering 9 and the frame 1 thepadding is placed, as I shall now proceed to describe. The saidcovering, as shown and described, is secured to the rawhide strip and ismade to conform approximately with that of the scoop-shaped frame 1 and,as shown,"is

provided with a thick heel portion 11. This arrangement makes the outercovering 9 have a central depression 12, to which all of the sidesincline inwardly, and when the ball strikes any portion of the glove itwill be diverted inwardly toward the central depression 12. The rawhidestrip 8 serves as a strengthening-strip and also being at a point atwhich the greatest wear occurs will greatly protect the glove andlengthen the Wear of the same.

Secured to the covering 9 on the inside and covering the centraldepression 12 is a piece of sheepskin 13, carrying the wool 14, and thewool, as shown, being next to the covering 9 and forming a padding atthat point of the glove in which the ball is caught, thus prevents theimpact of the ball from passing to the hand. The WOOl 14 being securedto the sheepskin, it will be seen that the same cannot move, and thusthe displacement of the padding at this point is absolutely prevented.Between the covering 9 and the frame 1 a packing 15 is placed, which maybe of the usual material used in gloves of this character.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced a scoop-shapedglove having an outer thin portion 16, which is adapted to engage theground in picking up ground-ball, and a thick heel portion 11.

The opening 2 inthe frame 1 is opposite the central ball-receivingdepression 12- of the glove and is arranged opposite the palm of thehand when the glove is in use, and the impact caused by the ballstriking in the depression is not imparted through the frame 1 to thehand, but through the sheepskin packing 13 and the usual packing 15 andthe covering 6, and thus the glove retains the same qualifications of aglove made entirely of leather. As before stated, the frame 1 is of acircular or approximately circular form, and in order to provide for thethumb portion 23 I provide the cover 9 and the padding with a break ordepression 24, which forms the thumb portion 23 of the glove.

Secured to the covering 6 of the frame 1 is a glove-piece 17, which isprovided with the usual finger portions 18 and thumb portion 23 and hasits upper end provided with a number of gores 20, which are gathered ona leather strip 21, which serves as means for holding the glove on thehand. The hand is placed through the opening 22 at the end of the strip21 in a straight flat position, and when therein it is curved or thefingers bent to conform with the curve of the frame 1, and when in saidposition it will be seen that it will be impossible for the glove toslip from the hand as long as the fingers remain in said position.

In gloves of this character it has been found necessary to provide somemeans for making the upper end of the glove portion smaller to hold theglove on the hand, such as a strap or lacing, owing to the straightposition in which the fingers are normally held while using the glove.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a glove of the character described, the combination with aglove-piece, of a rigid body portion forming the front of the g ove.

2. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidbody portion and means for attaching same to the hand.

3. A glove of the character described comprising a rigid body portionhaving a central opening therein, and a glove-piece carried by said bodyportion.

4. A glove of the character described comprising a scoop-shaped rigidframe having a central opening therein, a padded covering for same, anda glove-piece carried by the frame.

5. A glove of the character described comprising a rigid frame, a flangecarried by the outer edge of said frame, a covering having its outeredge crimped under said flange, and a glove-piece carried by the frame,substantially as described.

6. A glove of the character described comprising a rigid body portionhaving a laterally-turned heel portion, and a glove-piece carriedthereby.

7. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidframe, a flange carried by the outer edge of said frame, a rawhide stripcrimped under said flange, a palm-covering secured to said rawhidestrip, padding between said covering and frame, and a glove-piececarried by the frame.

8. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidframe having a central opening therein and a laterallyturned heelportion, a covering for said frame, a padding between said frame andcovering and a glove-piece carried by the frame.

9. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidframe having a central opening and a laterally-turned heel portion, acovering secured to the edge of said frame and having a ball-receivingdepression therein, a padding between said frame and covering and aglove-piece carried by the frame.

10. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidframe, a padding carried thereby, and a glove-piece secured to the frameand having a gathered inner end whereby the hand cannot be removed whenin its normal position corresponding with the curve of the frame.

11. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidbody por tion, a covering secured to the outer edges of the frame, asheepskin padding secured to the ITO inside of the covering with thewool side adjacent to the covering, and a glove-piece carried by theframe.

12. A glove of the character described,

5 comprising a scoop-shaped rigid frame having a central openingtherein, a flange carried by the outer edge of said frame, a coveringstretched over the convex side of said frame and having its edges turnedparallel with the flange, a rawhide strip extending around the flangeand crimped between the flange and said frame, and a palm-coveringstitched to said rawhide strip and having a central depression oppositeto the opening in the frame, a padding between the palm-covering and theframe, and a glove-piece secured to the convex side of the frame,substantially as described.

13. A glove of the character described, comprising a scoop-shaped rigidframe made of papier-mach, a padded covering carried thereby, and aglove-piece carried by the frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RAOUL F. LE MAT.

Witnesses:

A. M. SPOFFORD, O. WOODCOCK.

